Owned by the Raventós Codorníu group, this winery is located in the magnificent monastery of Poblet, in the heart of DO Conca de Barberà in southern Catalonia. Formerly devoted to the production of a single varietal Pinot Noir inspired by the Cistercian monastic order and its obvious links with Burgundy, the project has radically shifted its focus towards local grapes, notably the late ripening Trepat. This red variety with low tannins and high acidity produces light, vibrant wines with a distinctive peppery profile and is enjoying a renaissance in the area since the first single-varietal Trepat was launched in 2004.
In this new approach Codorníu has used most of its expertise from Scala Dei in Priorat with winemaker Ricard Rofes' disciple, Jaume Pujol, in charge of the new wines from Conca de Barberà. As in Priorat, wines are fermented with whole bunches and aged in cement tanks and foudres. Painstaking work has been done in order to find high altitude plots with old vines planted in cool locations. Soils are a combination of limestone and clay and schists.
The latest range, released in mid-2017, comprises three wines. The white Abadía Poblet (4,000 bottles, €18) is a blend of 90% Macabeo and 10% of skin-contact Parellada with both varieties fermented and aged in concrete tanks. While the Parellada adds complexity and toasted notes from the skins, the Macabeo offers consistency and white fruit flavours. From the 2016 vintage onwards, grapes from a new high-altitude plot will be added to the blend to have a fresh aromatic herb profile in the wines which will be aged half in concrete tanks and half in foudres.
The red Abadía Poblet (13,000 bottles, €19.5) is a blend of 40% Trepat and equal parts of Garrut (Monastrell or Mourvèdre), Garnacha and Ull de Llebre (Tempranillo). Trepat and Garnacha are fermented with stems but while Trepat and Garrut are aged in foudres, cement is preferred for Garnacha and Tempranillo. The result is a medium-bodied red marked by Trepat’s distinctive aromas.
Their top red La Font Voltada (1,200 bottles, €43) is a 100% Trepat made from a 3 Ha vineyard located in the village of Sarral. Altitude ranges between 500 and 550m and soils combine limestone with numerous clay outcrops. Only the oldest vines, some of them over 100 years, are selected. This is Trepat at its best —fragrant (white pepper, pomegranate, lavender, rosemary, red cherries), juicy and pure with well defined flavours and persistence. The name refers to an old fountain located in the property; “voltada” in Catalan means “fenced”.
All wines are fermented with natural yeasts and lightly filtered prior to bottling. The small quaint cellar is not currently open to visitors but the wines can be bought at the monastery’s store and at Codorníu's online store.
